(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fugita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Wayland police Sgt. William Smith points to a map while being questioned by prosecutor Lisa McGovern. Defendant Nathaniel Fugita sits at far right. Smith was on the witness stand, one of several witnesses to testify Thursday. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astely, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011.Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

COURT DRAMA: Wayland Police Officer William Smith points to a map during testimony.

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fugita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Prosecutor McGovern places a map on the easel for Wayland police Sgt. William Smith to view. Smith was on the witness stand, one of several witnesses to testify Thursday. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astely, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fugita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Defense attorney William Sullivan with his client Nathaniel Fugita, seated at right. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astely, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fugita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Massachusetts State Police trooper Brian Roderick answers a question from prosecutor Lisa McGovern standing at left. Nathaniel Fugita seated at right with his attorney William Sullivan. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astely, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fugita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Taking the witness stand was Stephanie Boudreau who worked with Lauren Astley at Store 344 at the Natick Mall. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astely, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fujita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Taking the witness stand was Meaghen Reineke who worked with Lauren Astley at Store 344 at the Natick Mall. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astley, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fujita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Taking the witness stand was Allessandra Chinetti who worked with Lauren Astley at Store 344 at the Natick Mall. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astley, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

(Woburn, MA, 02/14/13) The murder trial of Nathaniel Fugita continues at Middlesex Superior Court in Woburn on Thursday, February 14, 2013. Defendant Nathaniel Fugita sits before a photo of his home on West Plain Street in Wayland. Fujita, 20, is accused of killing his ex-girlfriend, Lauren Astely, 18, of Wayland, Mass., on July 3, 2011. Staff photo by Ted Fitzgerald

Nathaniel Fujita calmly answered a police officer’s questions about his missing ex-girlfriend — as the desperate search for Lauren Astley was under way — showing nothing that would indicate he had brutally murdered his former high school sweetheart and dumped her body in a marsh just five hours earlier, a police officer testified yesterday.

“I didn’t notice anything out of the ordinary,” Wayland Police Officer William Smith said yesterday of Fujita, now 20, who is on trial for murder in the July 3, 2011, strangulation and stabbing death of Astley, 18.

Smith said Fujita, who came to the door shortly before midnight in gym shorts, with his mother at his side, gave “comprehensible” answers during a “normal conversation.”

The officer said Fujita, a high school football and track star who planned to play football at Trinity College, initially denied seeing Astley that evening then admitted that she dropped by at about 7:45 p.m. Fujita said he told Astley to park along a side street because he did not want his mother to see her, and that they had an “awkward” conversation that lasted a few minutes, Smith said.

Smith added that Beth Fujita, Nathaniel’s mother, told him she and her son “had been home all night watching movies together.”

Prosecutors said Fujita, enraged that Astley ended their three-year relationship, strangled her with a bungee cord and slit her throat, stabbing and beating her while she was alive during a premeditated attack in his garage while his family was at a barbecue.

He then abandoned her red Jeep at the town beach and drove her body in his Honda to a marsh, where he dumped her corpse, prosecutors said.

Fujita’s lawyer, William Sullivan, has argued his client was not criminally responsible for killing Astley, saying he suffered a “brief psychotic episode” due to depression. Sullivan said Fujita’s family has a history of mental illness, including schizophrenia and depression.

Astley’s co-workers at Store 344 at the Natick Mall testified yesterday the “spunky,” “outstanding” employee was confronted by Beth Fujita in the boutique several weeks before her killing.

Beth Fujita had a “serious conversation” with Astley lasting nearly 30 minutes, said former manager Maeghen Reineke, 28, who said she grew concerned. Assistant manager Stephanie Boudreau said Beth Fujita was “distraught” and “crying,” while Astley seemed “detached,” with her arms folded.

On the day she was killed, Astley, clad in a pink dress with spaghetti straps, said “she was going to go talk to her ex-boyfriend to see how he’s doing because she was worried about him,” testified store co-worker Allesandra Chinetti. She said Astley, who confided in her two days earlier that she was dating other people, “looked happy. She was dressed nicely. … She was in a good mood.”